


Sakura & Tobirama

by 13daysofguh



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-15
Updated: 2021-02-25
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:28:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 11,418
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24201343
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/13daysofguh/pseuds/13daysofguh
Summary: [time travel] Sakura's adventures in the past with Tobirama.
Relationships: Haruno Sakura/Senju Tobirama
Comments: 22
Kudos: 145





	1. Your scent is so good

**Author's Note:**

> I'm a brazilian writer and tried to translate this to english. It was not easy. Sorry for any mistakes.

Sakura had already lost count of how many days she was trapped in that unusual reality. Never, in all her life as a kunoichi, did she think she would end up having some kind of prolonged coexistence with those people. Not that she hadn't had any surprises in her life, like when she ended up in a meeting room with the Raikage and he, harshly and rudely as he always was, praised her medical skills and asked her to teach his medical ninjas. Or, then, when she had no options but to work together with Orochimaru to seek the cure for a disease that was killing thousands of ninjas around the world. It was one thing, however, to be face to face with the living, another to be looking at the dead ... the not-so-dead dead.

By that time, she should be used to it; the strange sensation should no longer be a nuisance. Except that every time her emerald green eyes rested on those individuals, something didn't click inside her and she felt strange. Don't get it wrong, not that they were ugly or anything like that, heavens, no. Hashirama was handsome, more than Sakura had seen in the photographs. His tanned skin was adorned with long black hair; the natural smile and always present regardless of the occasion. Gentleness, then, that was his biggest charm. It was possible, thought the pink-haired kunoichi, that he thought she was a bit of an idiot, after all the interaction and contact between the two resulted in Sakura being silent for a few seconds until she could answer anything. Obviously the first Hokage would never show any trace of that thought about her, he was too polite to do so.

And when looked at Tobirama, that's when she felt most uncomfortable. Hashirama was beautiful, but the second Hokage was stunning. Not only for his physical appearance: tall, strong, dominance, but more for the personality traits like the ones of a certain Uchiha with whom she was in love. Something about Sakura automatically made her enchanted and attracted to more serious people, cooler people, people who visibly did not embrace its emotional or vulnerable side. Maybe it was just how her psychology worked, having something in Tobirama that reminded her of something repressed. She couldn't explain it very well, mental health was not her expertise.

Anyway, being in the presence of legends, of heroes who grew up listening, was like living a dream. A long one and one that having the awareness of being dreaming did not mean that it would end any time soon and she would wake up. She sighed deeply. Perhaps too deep, which led Tobirama, sitting right next to her, to nudge her lightly under the table.

\- Haruno, you ok? - even though he didn't turn around to ask the question, and even though his voice was extremely cold and calm, Sakura knew that the question was sincere. He was worried.

\- Ah yes. It’s probably nothing. - Sakura replied as if it were nothing, but the truth is that this discomfort, which was enhanced by the presence of the Hokages-who-were-not-yet-Hokages, had started since they sat at the dinner table and were served drinks.

Sakura did not understand very well the need for this dinner between the Senju and Uchiha clans, even though Hashirama, in all his patience and didactics, explained that it was a necessary meeting to maintain peace between them. Except that in Haruno's mind, at least as she remembered the story of the emergence of Konoha, there were no dinners and things like that that were done between the clans to keep the peace. Inevitably her head started to go through a thousand thoughts. Was she interfering with the correct flow of things? The idea of fucking the history of her village and ending the future in its entirety, in good and bad things, made her even more irritated. She didn't want to have the responsibility to fuck with everything. And maybe even with her own existence. After all, if something went wrong and Konoha ceased to be founded, it would mean that she wouldn’t exist either.

Knowing that she had no authority to oppose this dinner, she only had to wave and accept the invitation made by the Senju brothers for her to participate. Her presence seemed an honor to them, since Sakura's showed up the brothers have been delighted - and amazed – by her medical knowledge. She didn't know when exactly, but the information that there was a woman with pink hair who was able to cure almost any health problem spread quickly across the region. And the fact of being linked to Hashirama and Tobirama in some way also increased the popularity of the brothers and attracted new clans wanting an alliance with the Senjus. Yamanakas, Naras, Akimichis, even Hyuugas and now the Uchihas. Everyone wanted to be part of the alliance. That was good, but at the same time, because it meant that Sakura was having that much more relevance than she should have.

\- If you want, I can take you to get some fresh air. - Tobirama offered, breaking Sakura from her obsessive trance.

\- Hm? Oh no! Don't worry, Tobirama! It would be wrong of me to take you out of that occasion. Uchihas may not like it. - Sakura tried to be as firm as possible in her refusal.

Tobirama was cold, stone-faced, sometimes harsh, but like his brother, he was very kind himself (in disguise). If by any chance it seemed that something was really wrong, Sakura knew that the gray man would do anything to help her and she knew well that it was not the right time to be helped.

When he raised his eyebrows discreetly, confused, Sakura knew she needed to do something. In a smooth movement, the kunoichi took her glass and drank some more wine, then got up. Her raising caught the attention of the Senjus and Uchihas at the table, to which Sakura promptly informed:

\- Excuse me, gentlemen, I need to leave for a moment. - and bowed, respectfully.

Before leaving the room, her eyes met Tobirama's and she smiled sympathetically, reassuring him. He just nodded and went back to his torture, which was not only sharing a table with Uchihas but being forced to talk to them.

Sakura walked down the long corridor that would take her outside, but feeling that there was really something strange. Her nausea was a little stronger and she felt a slight tremor affect her entire body. With a little difficulty, she rested a hand on the wall and stopped for a while to try to breathe better.

\- Was it something in the wine? The drink from this age is really different, but not different enough to make me feel like this ... - she said to herself, stepping back.

With every movement her feet made, Haruno was experiencing new symptoms. Hr body started to heat up, her vision started to blur intermittently, her breath became heavier and heavier and some difficulty to think clearly. It took a few more seconds to finally reach the outside area and sit on some rock. It wasn't exactly the most comfortable place to sit when you're feeling sick, but at that moment anything would do.

After a few seconds and no improvement in what she felt, even with the cool breeze massaging her face, Sakura managed to conclude what was happening: she had been poisoned. Her medical experience was long enough to be able to distinguish between malaise and poisoning. Hell! Confused, she tried to think what the real scenario would be. Had they all at the table been poisoned? Probably not. Even though she was not normal, her observation skills had never paused, so she could be sure that no one else at the table had shown any signs of discomfort. So it was just her. Okay, bigger problem eliminated.

Her mind went on working, working on a thousand things, when it was interrupted by the arrival of a servant. A boy who appeared to be 15 or 16 years old, with a voice that claimed he should be a bit older than that.

\- Miss Haruno. Is everything all right? Need me for something?

\- Oh, no. I just need some fresh air and I'll be right back. Thank you! - Sakura replied a little breathlessly.

\- Stay calm, take your time. I already told the table lords you asked me to let them know that you had decided to go to your quarters. So if you feel like getting back, you tell them you've changed your mind.

The kunoichi thought about answering something, but just smiled, thanking him. Her body seemed to get worse by the minute and she was trying her best to stay conscious. Her vision started to become slightly blurred, alternating the blur with moments of clarity. She needed to do something urgently. If she passed out there and the information got to the table, they would think that it had been some Uchiha tactic to poison her and that could jeopardize the alliance. And a break in the alliance between the Senjus and Uchihas could be fatal for the future.

\- "Shit." - She thought to herself.

In one of those lapses of visual clarity, she could see that the servant was approaching. At first she thought he would try to help her up, but when a sharp blade came down his sleeve and stopped between his fingers, it all made sense. He was the poisoner. Moments earlier, he had served the wine to everyone present, so it made sense for him to also tell the table that she was gone. That way, he could eliminate her and no one would suspect anything. Hell, hell, hell!

When close enough, the boy tried to hit her straight in the neck. Quick, practical, easy, that was the death he had in mind for his target. Even though she was poisoned, and with her whole body compromised, Sakura was still a kunoichi, an extremely skilled one by the way. Her reflexes did not depend so much on conscience. Her body then automatically deviated backwards. Perhaps not in a skillful way, quite the opposite, totally awkward. So much so that she fell off the rock and went straight to the ground.

The avoidance made the servant smile sarcastically.

\- Um, so you don't want to die easy.

Sakura did not respond, only with the greatest effort in the world did she manage to stand up and tried to stay as steady as possible. It wasn't an easy task, but to hell that boy if he thought she would just accept to die like that.

The servant then went on rampage, delivering a series of deadly attacks. They weren't fast, much less potent, which made sense somehow: if his specialty was poison, hand-to-hand combat shouldn't be exactly his forte. Except that in a fight against someone poisoned and very weak, that certainly puts you at an absurd advantage. Even if his level of taijutsu was at the level of a chuunin, at most, for Sakura it felt like she was fighting Maito Gai himself.

Her perception was beginning to change, the movements seemed to be going in slow motion. And although she managed to get vital points out of the sight of the deadly attacks, some cuts were made to her body.

\- Damn it!

\- I must admit, I didn't expect you to try to react. You are a brave woman, but you are not a ninja. Accept your death!

In a dishonest move, pretending to try to hit her in the arms, the servant tripped Sakura and knocked her down instantly. Without any difficulty. On the floor, Haruno realized that there was no way to get up. She lost to someone with basic and pathetic skills, but had won by the element of surprise. Humiliating. Seconds, however, have passed and nothing about the final blow coming. In fact, when she felt her body being touched, it was by two arms trying to lift her up. On instinct, she tried to strike back, but the voice she heard stopped her immediately.

\- Sakura, stop moving.

Tobirama's voice was the best thing that could have happened at that moment. But how?

\- T-tobirama? What are you doing here? - Her voice came out a little confused, but nothing that was impossible to understand.

\- The servant took a long time to come and replenish the drinks. Looking at your glass, half-empty, I took a sip. Nothing enough to bring me down, but enough to know it was poisoned. Not a strong poison, so I know you won't die.

\- But what about dinner?

\- Hashirama is taking care of everything. - objective, as always.

Sakura was silent. She just seized the moment, feeling Tobirama's strong arms carrying her body. Her head tipped over and rested on his equally strong and incredibly comfortable chest. The scent of that man entered her nose and, damn, it was good, very good. Soft, kind of sweet, like you sense on a spring morning. Was it some distorted and bizarre form of necrophilia to be attracted to that man?, she thought, after all he was a dead man in her age. The mental confusion caused by the poison was reaching new levels of madness.

\- Tobirama ...? - She whispered, calling for the man who carried her.

\- Hmm? – His eyes did not deviate from the environment, after all, at any moment someone could arise to attack them, but Sakura knew, somehow, that she had a total attention from the man.

\- I know how to fight, okay? - her voice sounding groggy.

Tobirama thought about answering, but the altered state of the woman in his arms was visible. So he just snorted, laughing at what he just heard.

\- Ok.

Seconds of silence.

\- Tobirama? - Sakura called him again, more groggy.

\- Yes? - he replied with a shy smile in the corner of his mouth.

\- I know how to take care of myself, okay?

\- Ok...

More seconds of silence.

\- Tobirama ...? - she called for the third time, even more groggy.

\- ... Yes? – he replied, already with a less discreet smile before hearing what would come this time.

\- Your scent is so good... it’s like...

\- Like...?

And she said nothing. She had finally entered the realm of unconsciousness and dreams. Tobirama laughed lightly. Something about that woman in his arms caused in him something he never imagined he would feel for anyone; something about this woman made him wanting to build a better future; something about her felt like home.  
Curious.

\- Good night, Sakura. - and Tobirama placed a kiss on Sakura's forehead.


	2. Moon's herb

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just Sakura and Tobirama starting a mission

Living in the past was not as absurd as Sakura imagined it would be. Of course, there were a lot of differences – the lack of technology being one of the most drastic, and that made a big difference in the treatment of patients - but in general it was a... normal experience. Working every day, gossip running through your ears, forcing a smile in some relationships, feeling contented in others, and, well, feeling a strange warmth in specific interactions.

Since the day she was rescued by Tobirama in the poisoning episode, the relationship between the still-not-second-Hokage and the pink-haired kunoichi had been experiencing strange moments. Not that they stopped interacting or started to ran from each other. To tell you how it was, the truth is that it was Sakura who could no longer behave like a normal person. And, to say even better how she was doing, she was terrible at hiding the signals her body insisted on showing. All of this did not go unnoticed by Hashirama.

The dark and long haired man often saw the pink hue of Sakura's cheeks intensify when his brother entered the same room; he noticed when Sakura stuttered a little when she needed to say something to Tobirama before forcing an act to speak more firmly; he realized even more when Haruno changed her route on the street if she realized that she was going to run into the gray man at some point.

Putting it that way, it might even seem like it was one-sided; that these were feelings that only the young doctor had for Tobirama. Hashirama, however, noticed the signs in his brother as well. They were more subtle, easier to omit, but the first Hokage knew his brother well enough to notice any slight change in behavior. For example: Tobirama usually just crossed his arms, lowered his head and closed his eyes when someone was saying something. When Sakura moved her lips to say anything, however, the younger brother not only kept his head in position but also did not unglue his red orbs from the doctor. It was like he was hypnotized.

Hashirama, despite always being an extrovert and always being the first to say what he was thinking, hid his contentment when watching his brother for the first time lowering his defenses to someone. This caused his consideration for Sakura to rise to even higher levels.

It was true that he knew nothing of the past of that strange woman with pink hair whose medical knowledge seemed far ahead of her time. When the first Hokage questioned her about it, Sakura's response had been vague, something about coming from a distant village that had been destroyed in a barbaric attack that left almost no survivors. Hashirama was kind, he liked to trust people, although often the words he was told were not loaded with the whole truth. Yes, there was something that Haruno hid, but whatever it was, it was not something evil, it did not seem to be something that would compromise the safety of those closest to him or the village.

Heavens, on the contrary, regardless of what Sakura kept to herself under lock and key, the positive impact she was leaving on his newly built village was undeniable. Konoha enjoyed a health system that was constantly growing and its effectiveness flew with the wind to all corners of the region. Several people had decided to go to Hashirama’s village because they believed they would be safer there and would enjoy decent health.

As long as she continued to have that relevance to his village and was that good person for his brother, for Hashirama, Sakura would be always welcome

The kunoichi of the future walked the streets of Konoha looking for medical supplies. She had found just about everything she needed except for an herb. Not that this herb was really necessary in all the medical procedures she performed, but it was an asset to be used in more serious cases. The moon’s herb, after delicate procedures and being transformed into a liquid, when ingested, guaranteed to the person an intense increase of immunity, recovery and some other benefits still unknown. It was her favorite because the effect reminded her of the incredible technique developed by her master and that Sakura had also had the ability to learn and use.

As the moon’s herb was not found or known by any commercial establishment, Sakura thought it would be a good idea to ask Hashirama's permission for a search around the village. At first she thought of going alone, after all it was just a medical luxury and not an urgent need. However, Haruno knew that outside the walls of Konoha was a primitive and wild world. As much as she was a great Kunoichi in her time, she couldn't deny that her physique, for some reason, was no longer the same. Her body was much more fragile, in such a way that a well-punched punch on some opponent or on some surface would leave serious injuries to her fists; a kick with 100% chakra applied could end up breaking some bone. And the seal on her forehead was far from being at full capacity, preventing her from using her regeneration technique in all its glory. In addition, Sakura deviated almost 50% of her chakra every day to help complete her seal faster.

Definitely, going on a search alone was the same as signing a death sentence. There was no other way, she would have to ask the first Hokage for a search team to help her.

Sakura and Tobirama walked side by side through the dense forests that existed beyond the walls of Konoha. It was incredible to see such wild and rich vegetation totally available to them. Haruno wondered what could have happened, since much of the vegetation she saw there did not exist in her time.

\- The vegetation seems to be something you really enjoy. - Tobirama spoke for the first time, breaking the silence that had reigned since they left the gates.

\- Oh, yes! I am surprised by some plants that I would never have thought would be so easy to find. In my village, we only saw many of these through books. This one is the flower of the sun: it opens in all its beauty with the sunlight. The brighter the sun, the more open it becomes. It’s beautiful.

\- I hope that means that this moon’s herb is easy to find too.

\- Could, but unfortunately not. I never saw it in its original form, just liquid. They say it is difficult to find it, we need to go to places with specific conditions to try to find it. - Sakura informed while she had stopped and bent down to pull some leaves from a strange plant.

\- And what would these conditions be...? - Tobirama asked, stopping to see the place better and check if they were safe.

\- They like high places, with a lot of wind and humidity. From what I saw on the map, there’s a waterfall a few kilometers in that direction. So, if we're lucky, we can find something there.

Tobirama did not reply, but was surprised by the information given by Sakura. Not that her words carried any incredible information or anything, no, but because her way of speaking and planning was like a ninja. He knew there were women who could fight, even if they were rare, so it seemed comical to imagine that pink woman and the knowledge of medical knowledge acting like a ninja.

Many things about Sakura, in fact, were a surprise to Senju. There was an aura of great mystery about that woman, an aura that contrasted with her friendliness and kindness. Something about her was magnetic and had a strange effect on Tobirama. He didn't think it was attraction, because he had already been attracted to other women, but not that way; not in the way that made him want to be around Sakura all the time to find out who she was and what she was hiding.

It was not easy. Tobirama had never been very sociable, only when badly needed. And there he was, looking for ways to interact with the strange pink-haired woman who was beside him.

\- Haruno, allow me a question ?

\- Sure!

\- Among the conditions to find this herb, shouldn't it be said that it is easier to find it at night ? It seems to me something logical given its name, moon’s herb.

Sakura felt her face burn. It was true. The moon’s herb could only be found at night, that was in the books. She felt like a complete idiot for having forgotten that detail. Maybe she would have remembered if she hadn't been extremely nervous when she found out who was going to accompany her on this search.

The same day, but many hours before.

\- W-what ? ! - Sakura exclaimed. - Hokage Hashirama, I would not be fine with myself knowing that I would take him out of his position to accompany me on such a simple mission!

\- Sakura, it is not a simple mission as you put it. If such an herb exists and has all these effects you say, getting it would bring many benefits to our patients and we could create a research team to better study it. - the first Hokage replied in all his calm and sympathy.

\- Well ... yes, that would certainly be great. So if you grant me three ninjas it would be great and-

\- Negative. I cannot compromise your life and your safety if something goes wrong with this mission. My brother will accompany you. And there is no more discussion about it - Hashirama was sweet most of the time, but he was able to impose himself just as easily when needed.

Sakura's head was racing. She didn't know what to expect from that. Spend an entire mission next to the future Hokage; the man with gray hair and piercing red eyes; the only man she would like to stay away from, because he was also the only one from that time who managed to awaken sensations from which she would like to run. It was complicated enough to be in an era that sh didn't belong to, having feelings for someone you shouldn't would just make things even more complicated.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Hashirama, who asked:

\- When can we start the mission, then?

Since Tobirama's presence was inevitable, it would be better to start this mission as soon as possible so that it also ended as soon as possible.

\- N-now, Hokage!

And that was how Sakura was defeated. She hated the effect Tobirama had on her. His presence made everything more messy internally and everything more embarrassing externally. The feeling of vulnerability that this caused at Haruno was bizarre. She still lived in denial, saying to herself that she was not attracted to Tobirama; that she didn't look at every detail of his body and wondered what was beneath the armor; what his gray hair would look like without the accessory on his head; how his skin would touch hers and what would be the feeling, and things like that.

The kunoichi, however, attributed this to a lack of physical-sexual contact, after all, since she had arrived there a few months ago, she had no relationship with anyone. And, in her head, this was what justified her strange thoughts when next to Tobirama, her desire to drop that man on the ground and mount him as if there was no tomorrow.

The thought made her blush. Tobirama noticed. Their eyes met and they both averted almost immediately, walking back shamefully through the forest.

It would be a long mission.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys. So, I decided to post some things I have in mind about this couple. As I said before, I'm not very good at English, so if anyone wants to send corrections, I'm open to them! Thank you!


	3. I got this

The rest of the day went by in a strange way - an understatement to mask all the embarrassment. The tension between these two from different ages was so intense and dense that a kunai could cut it in half. All the time, by some mysterious magnetic force, Sakura and Tobirama ended up bumping into each other; their hands touching briefly between the steps, some lost looks that met each other. With each contact, however, as much as they tried to disguise, the blush would appear on their faces and they would move away, taking a few minutes until everything happened again.

In Sakura's head, she was cursing the first Hokage for having provided all that moment. As good as he was as a person, something in the back of her conscience said that Hashirama had done it on purpose. The man was practically a god on earth, his observation skills should be on another level. Somehow, he knew about the confused feelings that Sakura and Tobirama ended up exhaling for each other. Haruno's desire , however, was to punch Hashirama to another country, but her respect for the leader of the leaf village spoke louder.

For Tobirama, the gray-haired man tried to convince himself that nothing was happening. There were only two people who were on a mission: she was there to harvest the moon’s herb, he, to protect her from any danger that could arise. Inevitably some thoughts sprang up in his head, such as: how, as much as they tried to be discreet, Sakura's pink hair was something that stood out like a spotlight. At that point, several people knew that in Konoha there was a doctor with pink hair whose healing skills were far beyond any other professional in the field. It complicated everything and, in his mind, it was only a matter of time before they were seen and consequently attacked. The idea, however, of having someone attacking Sakura seemed to make him more nervous than usual; someone approaching to hurt her, to take her shine off or somehow take her away from fim, it all seemed to encourage him to be more alert than ever.

It wasn't easy. In the moments when the pink-haired kunoichi found a specific plant or anything else that caught her attention, Tobirama allowed himself to yawn quickly. The reality is that he had been unable to sleep last night when he returned from a mission that not even his brother Hashirama was aware of. So, when the long-haired Senju came to propose a mission or something, Tobirama's first instinct was to deny and indicate some people he trusted. When he learned, however, that it was a mission that was supposed to protect Sakura, the gray man changed his mind and decided to accept it. Like the typical ninja who had no deep knowledge of what was going on inside him, in his emotions and feelings, Tobirama could not rationally explain why he had changed his mind so quickly; he was always a firm person in his decisions and passed on important missions to those he trusted, so why was it different when it came to that woman? 

It is possible that Tobirama would continue in his spiral of thoughts for a long time if he was not interrupted, again, of course, by Sakura finding some medicinal plant that she thought could not be found. The discovery made the man curious. What was about that flora that caught Sakura's attention so much ? Curious, Tobirama looked around and found a white flower with pink stripes.

He didn't know why, but looking at that mixture of white and pink reminded him of Sakura . More specifically, of Sakura and him. Senju's unconscious took control and he found himself bending down and plucking the flower, sniffing it shortly thereafter.

It didn't take Tobirama five seconds to feel Sakura beside fim, desperate, slapping his hand.

\- T- Tobirama, don’t!!

And everything went dark.

Tobirama's red eyes opened, allowing his consciousness to return to reality and to be active again. Everything was dark. Blinking slightly, it took him a few seconds to remember everything: where he was, why he was and who he was with. So when his red eyes searched for Sakura and he found nothing, despair washed over him.   
His body rose awkwardly, leaning on the nearest tree. He tried to vocalize the kunoichi's name but nothing came out right. One more try and nothing. Being the rational man he was, he appealed to his abilities, using his chakra to release a wave that dissipated around him and would tell him if there was someone close or not. Normally that skill would allow him to track a huge area, but due to his situation he managed only a few meters, being enough to find the chakra of the person he was looking for. Enough, too, to realize that there were several other sources of chakra around her.

His feet moved automatically, taking him to Sakura in a few seconds. When he saw her, he saw that there were several outsiders surrounding her, probably ready to attack. In their hands, machetes, pieces of wood and iron, some ninja tools - probably from ninjas they might have found at some point -, flaming torches; on their faces, expressions of malice or any other term that could show what impure thoughts were going on in their minds. Tobirama felt guilty because he imagined the fear that Sakura might be feeling. Thinking about it made him feel like the most impotent and pathetic ninja in the world. However, when looking at the pink-haired woman, what he found was totally different from what he imagined: Sakura smiled as maliciously as the outsiders, as if she had the ability to stand against them on the same level.  
Tobirama tried to put himself in the situation, but ended up falling due to the weakness he felt. His fall was enough for Sakura to notice his presence and to say, firmly, like a general giving orders:

\- Tobirama, stay there, I have this under control.

And she took what was clearly a battle position, surprising him..


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who are you, Sakura?

Sakura's head was a whirlwind of thoughts. She was looking for strategies that could put her in some form of advantage against so many enemies who were ready to attack at any moment. In a normal situation, or better, in the future, she could just punch the ground and throw them into a crater deep enough to spare her from any physical contact. In this moment, however, with a more fragile body and far from enduring the power of chakra blows, she needed another plan.

To make things worse, there was Tobirama right behind her, weak and fragile, victim of an accidental - and stupid - poisoning that would be another detail that deserved her attention. That day was being a succession of unnecessary failures.

\- Princess, princess, we ain’t here to hurt you. Come with us quietly and everything will be fine. We are the men you want to have by your side - one of them said, the irony oozing from every word as he ran his immense hands over the big hairy tuft he had on his head.

The kunoichi did not respond, remaining in position and analyzing every movement that could break out in an offensive. Seconds passed by and the man started walking slowly towards her. A malicious smile plastered on his face, his body moving in a way that clearly denounced that he did not consider Sakura a threat or anything close to it.

Close enough, the man took one of his hands to Sakura, intending to take her by the shoulder and bring her to his group. At that moment Tobirama tried to react, fearing that the worst could happen to the woman he secretly cared about more than anything lately. His body tried to move to perform a jutsu, but what happened was much faster than he could have imagined.

Sakura grabbed the man by the arm and nimbly moved behind him, bringing the man's muscular arm with him, moving him easily. The cry of pain echoed through the forest and the other men were startled by the movement. Apparently, none of them, including Tobirama, imagined that a woman could be capable of such agility and precision in a movement. The pink-haired kunoichi released the man's arm at the same time that she forced him against the floor, putting one knee on his back, holding him in place.

\- The next one will face worse than a broken arm. - Said Sakura.

Seconds of silence and tension.

More seconds of silence and tension.

And all the men decided to go after Sakura at the same time.

\- S-shit! - was just what she had time to exclaim.

She got up quickly and an intense combat began.

Sakura knew that she was no longer able to attack them with the power she once had, not without hurting herself as much as her targets, but she still had her eyes and her incredible ability to read movements. So at least she was able to dodge the clumsy attacks that were directed at her and had precise and surgical movements to disable them whenever a breach appeared. The number of men attacking her at the same time was large, which made the process of a counterattack quite difficult. She dodged a punch here, a kick or hatchet there; when she could, she punched the joints of an inattentive man or kicked another in the… “sack”.

The fight was going on frantically and Tobirama seemed confused by everything that was happening. It was the first time in his life that he had been unable to fight and, more than that, it was the first time in his life that he was defended by a woman. It was not just any woman, but the one who was the most prestigious doctor in Konoha; the woman who was docile and often shy, and all those characteristics were far from being present while she moved among those men.

Tobirama was rational, too much rational actually, so in his head he tried to seek an explanation for what he was seeing. Not that it was impossible for a woman to fight, he had heard rumors of a gang whose members were diverse, with women who were just as lethal as men. But it was just that, rumors. Anyway, rumor or not, they were about potential enemies for his village. Putting all the pieces together, the most obvious conclusion was that Sakura belonged to some potentially dangerous group. This would explain the advanced knowledge in medicine and, now, the combat ability.

And that mission to find a herb that no one knew about or had heard of; the refusal of company so she could go alone. It made sense with what he saw. Was she a spy?  
In one corner of his thoughts, however, doubt arose. Was she really an enemy? Sakura? The woman he has seen acting compassionately towards her patients, relieving their pain and always bringing them a fresh air of hope regardless of the situation.

Nothing made sense. The pieces did not fit. The many thoughts could go far, very far, if he didn't come back to reality when Sakura approached, finally. Apparently, the enemies were all defeated. None actually dead, only with broken or dislocated body parts, and all unconscious.

\- Tobirama?

The future Hokage took a deep breath and with some difficulty managed to stand still. “He's getting better”, she thought, relieved. However, Tobirama quickly pulled out his kunai and aimed at the kunoichi's neck .

\- Who are you, Haruno? You have one chance to explain yourself and one only.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> My english sucks, I'm so sad. Sorry for the lots of mistakes.

With each step that Sakura took, her thoughts became more and more messy and she couldn't quite define what she was feeling. It was not just disappointment, there was sadness, guilt, anger and fear. That ancient time in which everything was rougher, more rustic, it was impossible to predict what would happen to her.

Her hands were handcuffed in streams of water made by Tobirama; she felt tired from the fighting from moments ago, and now and then she looked at the man next to her, who held his head up and kept his eyes on the path they were taking. It was apparent that he didn't want to look at Sakura. His expression was hard, making it impossible to determine what he was feeling or thinking. The only concrete information that the kunoichi had is that she went from ally to enemy.

Sakura was not stupid. She was always smart and able to understand the situations in which she was involved. She knew that her behavior, her skills, and the information she had given about herself to the men in the past were unreliable.

Perhaps she had over-relied on the people she grew up on hearing about. They were references for her, she, however, was a stranger to them, especially at a time when women were mostly harmless and focused on household chores. Obviously, Tobirama had every reason to suspect Sakura's character. It was obvious.  
Her heart was aching with that.

The following days were torture. Sakura was trapped in a small 3x3 meter cubicle, with an old and disgusting mattress to lie on, a pot of water and something that should have been a toilet, but it looked like an object of torture.

Around it, several other cells with men that represented some danger to the newly founded village. Being there broke her heart, because she could be many things, not a danger to her home village. And her heart broke even more because she had been there for two days and had not received a visit from none of the Senju brothers. Their absence caused the worst types of thoughts to occur to her. It seemed that they never had any appreciation for the Haruno; it seemed that all her deeds, all her medical work had been disregarded; with that in mind, she felt sadness and loneliness. Then she stopped to think and remembered that she was there for doing something good, for defending Tobirama and herself from people who wanted to attack them. Then she was angry. And went back to sadness, to fear, then to anger and so on.

It was frustrating for Sakura to think about her affections, because she seemed to carry a lot of karma on that subject. No one her heart chose seemed to treat her with due respect and care. Sasuke was the first target of her affection, being a traumatized, arrogant boy who were never able to see her as someone worthy of his recognition; then it was Naruto, the also traumatized boy and clown who for years pissed Sakura off, trying to get her to love him. When Sakura finally started to see him as an affective potential, Naruto was already starting to get involved with Hinata. The fear of loneliness hit and then Rock Lee was the third target, but he treated her like an unarmed person who needed constant protection. It was obvious that their relationship would not work.

And Tobirama. The fourth, the future Hokage; the man who was years away from her and yet a few steps away; he was also the man who had decided to arrest her for knowing how to defend herself. Arrested for sexism. It was all incredibly absurd and stupid. She tried to justify it all, after all it was another time, when women had not yet managed to conquer their own space in the ninja world, but it is not as if she had committed a crime too, heavens.

A noise echoed through the prison and the main door opened. For an instant, Sakura's heart exploded. Was it him? Had he created the balls to get her out of there and finally understand that she did nothing wrong? That she was not a danger just because she knew how to defend herself. The thought of finally seeing him after two days was capable of causing the most inconvenient effects on Sakura’s body and she cursed herself for it.

It didn't take much to realize that no, it wasn't Tobirama, but some guard. One who seemed to be responsible for changing the water in the bowls of each cell. 

Disappointed, the Haruno snorted and sat on the mattress, resting her back against the wall and directing her gaze to the small square window of her cell, which was where the moonlight passed. Sakura wanted to be out there more than anything.

The water man stopped in front of Sakura's cell and kicked the bars, drawing the Kunoichi’s attention. Her green eyes strayed from the moon to the man, who was all dressed up, from head to toe, even covering his face. The only thing visible was his equally black eyes.

\- Who would say. - He commented and said nothing more, hoping that Sakura would say something, which ended up not happening. - They said there was a new danger in prison, but it's just you. The pink-haired doctor, the protégé of the Senju brothers.

The mention of that surname made the kunoichi's body shiver slightly.

\- And why are you here? What danger could you pose?

Sakura just huffed and looked at the moon. She didn't feel like talking.

\- That one is pure silence, brother. There's no use trying - a random voice spoke from some corner of the prison.

\- Really? - the guard commented, entering the cell and nudging the doctor with his foot, provoking her.

The Haruno took a deep breath and continued without giving you any answer, whether verbal or physical. She would not fall for that provocation.

\- Ooh, she's tough then. I bet that's why you're here. That loose Hokage brother must have tried something with the bitch and she refused!

The inconvenient comment started to affect Sakura, making her feel her irritation start to exponentially increase. She was no longer in the best of her moods and now was being forced to put up with the guard talking shit about her and Tobirama. Sakura kept her silence, it was the best thing to do and she knew it.

The guard, however, was persistent. Still receiving the silence of the pink-haired woman in response, he walked and crouched next to her, so that their eyes were aligned. Boldly, he grabbed Sakura by the chin and forced her to look at him. The entire prison was commenting on the situation, making fun of Sakura and laughing.

\- I'm talking to you, bitch. Who-

The man did not have time to finish his sentence, because a powerful knock hit him full in the face, causing his body to be thrown back with great force and to hit the nearest bars. The noise of both the blow and the impact on the railing echoed through the prison, silencing everyone who was watching what was happening as entertainment.

The guard's face was brutally wounded, running from his nose what looked like a waterfall of blood. Apparently, by instinct, Sakura had used a little chakra in her attack, which caused her to have a slight bruise on her forehead as well. But that was far from stopping her from retreating. She got up and shouted:

\- Leave! Now!

The man was not intimidated, getting up and pulling out his kunai and heading towards Sakura without thinking twice. And there was another fight for the young doctor. That man visibly had more sense of combat than any other opponent faced by the kunoichi, which ended up demanding more attention and care on her part. His kunai strokes were quick and strong enough to do lethal damage.

With every second of combat, the adrenaline was taking over Sakura's body and her movements were gradually adding chakra. It got to the point that when she finally saw an opportunity to attack, Sakura directed her fist into the guard's chest and a powerful, classic, powerful and destructive punch was delivered. The result? Well, again that poor man flew away, but not being stopped by the bars, because the bars flew with him.

The “boom” of the attack was higher than it should have been and Sakura immediately regretted it, because it would attract much more attention than she would like to and could only worsen the situation she was in. And to make things worse, her arm was injured as well. As was to be expected, her body could not withstand the full power of its attacks – even though she attacked the man with probably 10% of her total power.

At that moment, there was no option but to flee. Perhaps many inmates there were wondering: if she was so strong, why hadn't she escaped before? And the truth is that she had been considering breaking those bars from the first minute she had been put in that cell, but running away would only make her situation worse and increase distrust. Well, that all was no use now, she had probably killed a village guard, so now she needed to run.

For a moment she thought about healing her right arm right there, but that would only delay the escape. Shit. Sakura’s head started to think about what would be the best way to escape from there: breaking a wall out or through the front door; but what would she do out there? Where would she go? Who she would count on? "Shit, shit, shit."

Her body once again acted on instinct and she chose to walk out the front door, only to knock on something - or someone. Her body collided and when she was going to fall back a few steps, she felt a hand grab her by the waist and keep her firm. It was dark, but she could see that it was a tall, athletic body whose robes were expansive. It couldn't be, had he finally appeared?

When Sakura lifted her head to look the man in the eye, the image stopped her heart.

\- U-Uchiha Madara?!


	6. I trusted you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi, hello, sorry for being late and sorry for any mistakes that you guys are gonna find. I'm trying lmao

The presence of Uchiha Madara brought to Sakura's body all kinds of possible negative feelings and this was starting to be a problem and a habit, a habit that was not contributing to the kunoichi's physical and mental health. It seemed that she was never able to achieve the peace that se wanted; it seemed that regardless of what she decided to do in the past, nothing led her to a conclusion that seemed to be the best for her future. Her most basic and primitive instinct signaled that it was time to stop and cry, to close her eyes and hope that it was all just a bad dream or that her team would show up to help her. Sakura knew, however, how pathetic it would be to give in and collapse emotionally, especially in front of the legendary Uchiha who held her around the waist.

No, she couldn't afford to act like a helpless little girl, especially as Tsunade's disciple, the strongest woman of her time and who trained a young Haruno with iron fists. Sakura wouldn't dishonor her master that way.

In less than a second Sakura acted in order to have more control of the situation. She got rid of the man's touch and took a few steps back nimbly, keeping a safe distance for whatever the outcome of that encounter could be. The sudden movement was not well received by the body of Haruno, who had a broken arm and suffered the consequences of having used too much strength in a body that was still very fragile and not adapted to the brutal style that she was used to fight. The pink-haired had to swallow the groan of pain that threatened to escape between her lips.

Madara initially laughed at Sakura's attitude of withdrawing so abruptly, admiring her for resisting the pain, but he couldn't help but find it curious that she looked anywhere but his eyes - it was as if she knew there was an immense danger in maintaining eye contact. The grace he found was immediately replaced by curiosity.

\- Now, doctor, is my presence capable of making you so terrified? To the point where you can't stay close to me and don't even look me in the eye – asked Madara, arrogance and disdain dripping from every word spoken.

Sakura knew she needed to choose her words very well, and she thought quickly .

\- Just making sure my criminal situation doesn't get worse. God knows what could happen to me if I hit you unintentionally. - and the green eyes of the kunoichi looked at the wounded man in the corner of the prison.

Madara's reaction surprised everyone. His face contorted in a confused frown and then burst out laughing. His laugh was genuine and it filled his body with a feeling he hadn't felt in his intimacy in ages. Fun. Something about the way in which Sakura, an injured woman, placed him as a fragile figure who could easily be hit, completely disarmed him. The echo of his laughter filled the entire room. The other criminals were terrified of that reaction, cowering in their corners; Sakura remained at her distance, but incredulous at the reaction. One of the greatest villains in the history of the shinobi world was not only in front of her, but laughing as a child laughs at a silly game. She could even think about how the smile brought an air of humanity to his image, but Sakura couldn't let herself be deceived by something so trivial and ephemeral.

\- I underestimated your existence, woman. I'll give you that . - he replied while for a brief moment he felt that someone was approaching. - For having animated my day I will help you.

The offer took Sakura by surprise and her reaction was to face Madara... visually, looking at him in the eyes. And everything went black and her conscience disappeared.

* * *

Sakura woke up from the darkness and was faced with a totally different scenario from where she was last time when she woke up. The memories were not very clear, with some flashes being all she could access from the previous event. The Haruno remembered a bad damp smell, to have people scattered in cells throughout the room and the pain she felt when she hit someone. Everything afterwards was quite confusing.

Her instinct was to get up to sit on the bed she was on, but it was not long before she regretted the decision when she felt a severe pain in her arm. It took her a few seconds to realize that her arm was bandaged and immobilized and, more than that, that there was someone at Sakura’s side. Her emerald eyes went to the person only to find a pair of red orbs staring at her intently.

\- Try not to move too much. Your body is not completely recovered from... whatever happened in prison. - Tobirama told her, his body sitting on a chair right next to Sakura's bed.

\- T- tobirama... - the kunoichi whispered.

The peace of mind that Sakura felt at that moment was so pure and so genuine that the only desire that dominated her body was to throw herself at the ninja and hug him tightly. And perhaps she would do so if some memories did not return, specifically those in which the gray-haired man doubted the kunoichi's loyalty and arrested her shortly after she had tried hard to defend him from an all-out attack when he was poisoned. Peace turned to anger and Sakura actually sat down, anger consuming every cell in her body.

\- It is very audacious of you to be here after what you did to me! Are you here waiting for me to wake up just to arrest me again?! I'll finish-

Sakura's movements were too violent and her body was still suffering and recovering. The pain knocked her out in a few seconds, forcing her to lie down while she moaned softly at the stings she felt. Tobirama instinctively stood up and approached even more, worried. He tried several times to say something, but the shame and regret he felt silenced him. His red eyes looked at Sakura, wounded, and all he could feel is that he was the worst man on earth because he exposed Haruno to that violent situation once again. She had saved his life when they were attacked and, in return, he treated her as a traitor. And now she was hurt because she was attacked while in prison and he wasn't even close to help her. On the contrary, apparently Madara who had appeared to help her. Fucking Madara. Fucking Uchihas. Tobirama's pride and dignity were destroyed.

\- Haruno... I... I... I'm sorry. This is all my fault. I failed you. - the words were said coldly and without much changes in facial expression, but it was not necessary to know Tobirama much to know that he meant every word that came out of his mouth.

Sakura said nothing. Yes, she wanted to say a lot, she wanted to punch that man in the face, she wanted to do a lot of things, but she felt that the moment she opened her mouth, the urge to cry that she had been holding for a long time would come out all at once. And she had promised herself that she would not break down emotionally in front of others, ever again. And listening to Tobirama was causing her even more pain than the physical pain she was feeling; those words were all she wanted to hear from him, but she didn't know if she was ready at that moment to deal with what she felt she wanted. It hurted a lot.

Sakura still couldn't look Tobirama in the eye, and said:

\- I trusted you.

\- I know. - and that was all he managed to answer.

Staying there was useless and would not solve anything, thought the gray-haired Senju. He then got up and when he was about to leave the door, leaving a somewhat tearful and bruised Sakura behind, he came across the ninja who was taking care of the pink haired patient's wounds. The bad luck is that Tobirama's always neutral expression did not announced anything that had happened in that dialogue full of hurt and pain, so the ninja immediately spoke:

\- Senju-sama! I'm glad you're here! The doctor needs walks after being in bed for so long. I was going to take her, but an urgent question arose that I need to address. Do it for me, thank you!

And she left before Tobirama could answer anything.

All he didn't want was to force an approach with Sakura after everything that had happened, so much so that the man stood at the door, his back to Haruno thinking about what he should do. And maybe he would stay a few more moments if it weren't for the creak of the bed she was on behind him. Turning around to check what was going on, he could see Sakura trying to get up on her own.

\- You can go. I can do this alone.

The girl's words hit him in the chest like kunais. Seeing her acting that way with him was worse than being hit by earth jutsus, because they were blows that were aimed into his interior, by someone he didn't imagine carrying such a high esteem for. And it was, for the first time in his life, that Tobirama found himself having no idea what to do. Should he help her? Should he leave her alone? He did not want to force a situation at a time that was no longer good; he was afraid that, in doing so, staying to help her , he would just continue to screw up the whole situation and get to the point where there was nothing else to do. That sense of vulnerability, of doubt, was making him question himself in such a way that he was questioning his own worth not as a ninja, but as a man.

Sakura slowly settled on the bed to get up. The pain she felt was intense, so she knew she needed to take it easy even to not do anything stupid and get even more bruised. However, it was enough for her green eyes to look at Tobirama for a second and she was equally affected by the tension of the moment. The white-haired man was motionless, looking at the floor. Fists clenched violently. The image shocked Sakura, who had never seen a breach of vulnerability appear in that man until then, and there, in front of her, he seemed to be more exposed than ever.

The shock was such that Haruno did not realize that her hand did not rest on the bar of the stretcher and, as a consequence, her entire body fell off the bed. She was going to fall hard and she didn't have enough physical structure to ease the fall. What happened soon after, however, was so fast that the young girl was left without any understanding. Inevitably she fell, not on the floor, but on Tobirama, who now wrapped her in a tight embrace and without hurting her as much as possible.

\- Got you. - Tobirama whispered, the vulnerability still present.

The rapprochement of the two was as much and as never before. Sakura didn't have the strength to withdraw, so she just couldn't resist her weight falling on Senju, and as for the Senju, he allowed himself to really embrace her, feeling drown by his own regret for what he had caused.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Are you guys ready for a love triangle vibe? I just like Madara's character so much, gotta put'im in the plot lmao


	7. What the hell do you want?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> mistakes, i'm sry

The days no longer passed in the same way. Perhaps for a long time Sakura was there denying she was a girl from the future living in the past; perhaps living with the Senju brothers was easing her pain; and perhaps the feelings for a certain younger brother was helping her being distracted. The truth, however, was one and one only: she did not belong to that time, to that Konoha. And the latest events have made this realization hit her harder than ever, like a kunai hitting a target.

While Tobirama was next to her in the hospital room that day her thoughts could not focus on that pain, thankfully. Okay, okay, Senju's presence was summed up more in the answers to the kunoichi's questions than in an initiative to really sustain a dialogue, but that was enough. It was comical to see his big, muscular body getting anxious on the chair and listening to Tobirama's thick voice being enveloped by embarrassment and effort, concern... feelings. And it was equally interesting to hear his perspective on things: about people, battles, jutsus and a little bit about emotions. Sakura discovered he communicated much better - and said much more - with his eyes than with his words. The Haruno realized this after their eyes met constantly, and it seemed that the man who specialized in water techniques managed to make her whole body boil in pleasant flames, ironically.

She had not yet forgiven the man 100% for his impulsive mistake, it was personally difficult to forgive such a mistrust. Part of her, however, understood that everything was a temporal context consequence. Women there did not have the freedom that women of the future had. And it was impossible not to notice the regret in Tobirama's eyes. It was a forgiveness that was still being worked on, and he was on the right track, she thought.

At the same time, it was too strange not to have any more contact with her contemporary friends in that fragile situation; not having the lively and sometimes irritating presence of Naruto, Sasuke's daily bad mood, Kakashi's lame excuses, the drunken moments of her master Tsunade, having only the support of none other than the second hokage.

Not to mention that now, after the prison incident, in which Sakura ended up using her power with a little more power than she should have, her body was unbalanced. A strange fragility took over her physique. The feeling was that her strength was no longer there. For someone who were known for her iron fists, weakness was a strange company, almost offensive. Her green eyes traveled over her own arms; arms, these, previously capable of creating craters with a simple touch and today, fragile enough that she needed to control herself in order to be safe.

It was too much to think about and it was inevitable not to feel the weight of thoughts. When Tobirama finally left - because the nurse expelled the first Hokage’s brother almost with broomsticks - was when Sakura gave in to mental fatigue and fell asleep. Not before feeling that, amid feelings and affection in Tobirama's eyes, he seemed to be hiding something from her.

* * *

The gray-haired Senju went through the door and closed it gently so that no noise was made. He started walking towards his brother's office to resolve the issues and speed them up, since he spent more time than he should with Sakura. Make no mistake, there was by no means any discomfort or disturbance due to the delay of his duties, because he felt that the moment was necessary for both of them - mainly for him. Tobirama, however, knew that the main reason for being close to the Haruno had not been fulfilled and that was what made him sigh deeply from time to time in that day.

The relationship between Tobirama and Sakura was at a delicate and fragile moment. Both had strangely built a good relationship of trust and affection, and the young Senju had managed to throw all this in the trash in a single movement of distrust; not to mention the guilt of arresting her and exposing Sakura to more danger. When he felt the use of a powerful chakra in prison that night, the gray-haired man immediately knew that the pink-haired girl was involved. It was his instinct speaking and attesting that it was impossible for Sakura not to be involved in problems: it was impossible for a woman with such beauty to go unnoticed, and it was impossible for a warrior woman with such personality - as he had found - not to be at the center of some conflict. His previous anger and distrust had been such that he had not even thought about all that. How ignorant it was of him.

Overall, that, however, was far from shaking (much) the powerful and magnanimous Tobirama. What caused his world to fall apart was the fact that he was too late; of having discovered that the one who had rescued Sakura when she was injured had been Uchiha Madara, the man for whom Tobirama carried a scorn of unimaginable proportions.

The dialogue between the two went through his head very precisely.

_The night Sakura was injured in prison_

\- Uchiha Madara, what are you doing here? - the younger Senju's cold and imposing voice echoed through the prison, even causing the other prisoners to hide in the corners of their cells, after all they were in the presence of two (almost) gods: the illustrious Uchiha Madara, leader of one of the most powerful clans in the world, and Senju Tobirama, the water prodigy and whose reputation was absurd. Madara, however, did not even move a muscle while effortlessly carried an unconscious and wounded Sakura in his arms.

\- Tobirama-kun - Madara said the name cynically - I'm just doing your job. Taking care of the guests we bring to our Konoha, a hospitality that you are apparently unaware of since you put this young woman in a cell right after she saved your life. Senjus really have no respect, which is not surprising. It is not for nothing that Hashirama stands out among his own as he is the only one with a little dignity and respect.

Madara's words hit Tobirama squarely, who had to use all his internal strength to keep himself from going forward and throwing a punch in the face of the Uchiha in front of him.

\- Don't you dare disrespect my clan's name like that, Madara.

\- Your actions alone disrespect your clan, Tobirama.

The gray-haired Senju found himself once again trapped by the words of his mortal enemy, and it was necessary to clench his fists to contain the anger he felt invading him more and more intensely.

He felt that way, not because Madara lied, but because Madara was saying everything that Tobirama himself was thinking about all the situation. He had indeed been disrespectful to Sakura for the treatment provided when she bravely fought for the gray-haired Senju's life; he had been disrespectful to Sakura when he didn't even try to talk to her to understand what had happened and how she had acquired her combat skills; he had failed Sakura when he treated the bond built between the two, deeply disappointing the woman for whom he felt things he never imagined himself feeling. And Tobirama needed to control himself, he needed to control his urges to go after Madara because he was in danger of becoming really unworthy of his own clan; fighting with the man who had saved the life of the person for whom Tobirama had too strong feelings was ridiculous. As much as he hated that long-haired Uchiha in front of him, he was the insolent who had managed to get Sakura to safety, which Tobirama himself was failing to do, hard.

\- And what do you want, then, Madara?

\- Now, now, Tobirama-kun, I just hope you are a little more grateful that I arrived in time to save this woman. - the irony dripping from every word of Madara. It was clear that the Uchiha wanted to make Tobirama humble himself, since it was equally clear that the gray-haired Senju had nothing but contempt for the Uchiha clan, without exception, and refused to bow to anyone, even his own brother.

\- Thank you - Tobirama grunted grudgingly.

\- You can't genuinely think that just that would be enough.

\- Then what the hell do you want?!

\- As the young woman in my arms is an official guest of the Senju brothers, which makes her your and Hashirama's responsibility, and as it is clear you cannot bear to see her in my arms, I wish to invite her to an official dinner at the mansion Uchiha. A private dinner, this woman and I.

And Tobirama's heart stopped for a moment.


End file.
